What a step up from my two previous Christmas contenders. This beer is produced by the same brewery as the San Quentin Breakout Stout, which I thoroughly enjoyed in my final day of my 100 beers 30 days challenge! (See Beer #100 entry)

My expectation was a hop bomb along the lines of a Stone brew or the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Not nearly. While there is a hop presence, the nose is far more dominated by the spices used in the brewing process: VANILLA, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The hop shows itself with notes of peach, mingled with orange aromas and flavors found from the utilization of the peel. And kudos to Joe who nailed an aroma I would never have gotten: red licorice.

This would be a nice beer to pair with holiday desserts such as peach cobbler, spiced cake, and gingerbread cookies. A lighter Christmas brew, this one won't weigh you down. Give it a try.